California Governor Issues Statewide Stay-At-Home Order Due To Coronavirus Crisis

March 19, 2020 6:44pm

Photo by Rich Pedroncelli/AP/Shutterstock

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued a statewide stay-at-home order, effective immediately, to mitigate the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The restrictions are the first to encompass all 40 million California residents.

“Californians must do what is necessary to meet this moment and help bend the curve,” Newsom said during a late-afternoon briefing. “It’s time for all of us to recognize as individuals and as a community we need to do more.” Read the executive order here.

Here are details of the new restrictions, provided by the state:

How long will we stay home?

This goes into effect on Thursday, March 19, 2020. The order is in place until further notice.

What can I do? What’s open?

Essential services will remain open such as:

Gas stations
Pharmacies
Food: Grocery stores, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores, take-out and delivery restaurants
Banks
Laundromats/laundry services
Essential state and local government functions will also remain open, including law enforcement and offices that provide government programs and services.

Officials hope restrictions to keep people in their homes and limit social interactions will help slow the spread of the virus and lessen the impact and possible overrun of hospitals with sick patients.

The statewide order follows tightened Los Angeles County and city of L.A. orders announced earlier today. It also came just hours after Newsom said he expects the virus will infect more than half of California residents over the next eight weeks. He has asked Congress for $1 billion in federal funds to support the state’s medical response.

In a separate letter to U.S. Senate and House leaders, Newsom said the financial aid is critical to the state’s ability to procure ventilators and other medical supplies, activate state-run hospitals, deploy mobile hospitals and meet other healthcare needs.

“The economic disruption caused by this public health crisis will have immediate and devastating effects on our entire country, including too many families in California,” Newsome wrote. “The magnitude of the crisis is extraordinary and federal-state-local government will be more critical than ever before.”

Throughout the state, there are 958 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 19 deaths.

This article was printed from https://deadline.com/2020/03/california-issues-statewide-stay-at-home-order-due-to-coronavirus-crisis-1202888232/